If you live in an older home in Lakeland or Winter Park, there are some potential electrical problems to watch for. While a lot of these homes can come with some great character, they also come with some flaws. One of the most important things you’ll want to ensure you do is get a professional electrical inspection for your home.
Find Problem Areas
The most obvious reason that you want to get an annual electrical inspection for your aging home is that it helps detect any potential problems that your system may have. Many different construction materials have been used over the years in the electrical industry. Some of these materials have been shown to have issues that can lead to hazardous conditions like household fires or electrocution. By identifying if you have these problem areas, you can remedy them quickly to better protect yourself, your family, and your home.
Aluminum Wiring
Because there was a copper shortage during the Vietnam War, it was very common for homes to have aluminum wiring installed. The problem with aluminum wiring is that it’s prone to overheating, which can lead to an electrical fire. If your home was built between the 1960s and 70s, you may likely have this dangerous wiring in your home. This calls for whole-home rewiring service so that it can be replaced with more modern-day copper wiring.
Cloth-Insulated Wiring
If your home was built before the 1960s and hasn’t seen an electrical upgrade since then, you likely have cloth wiring in your home. Cloth wiring is actually cloth insulation that sits over the existing wiring and acts as an insulator. The problem with this type of wiring is that the cloth material will get brittle over time and break off the wiring. This leaves the wire completely exposed, which can be highly dangerous for anyone who comes into contact with it.
Knob-and-Tube Wiring
Homes built before the 1950s had a common type of wiring known as knob and tube. It gets this name because it has a series of porcelain tubes that help to insulate the wiring as it runs throughout your home. The problem with this type of wiring is that it doesn’t have a ground wire. This makes it unsafe if there is an electrical overload, as the excess energy has nowhere to ground itself. This type of wiring will need to be fully replaced with wiring that has grounding for optimal household safety.
Overloaded Circuits
Homes built before the 1980s typically only had anywhere between 60 to 100 amps of power going into the electrical panel box. While this was more than sufficient for the minimal number of appliances that were run at that time, it no longer meets our modern-day electrical demands. We have a lot more devices and appliances today than we did just a few decades ago.
If you’re trying to run all of these devices through a panel box that only has 100 amps of power or less, then you’re likely overloading your circuits. This can lead to a number of issues, starting with flickering lights and ending up with constantly tripping circuit breakers. It’s typically best to upgrade your entire panel box to a more modern 200 to 250 amps of power.
Fuse Box
One of the bigger problems with older homes is that they can have a fuse box. This works similarly to an electrical panel because it diverts energy into different electrical circuits. The main difference is that a fuse box relies on fuses that will burn up whenever there is an overload to the circuit.
This means that you have to replace the fuse to get the circuit back up and running again. Many homeowners opt for upgrading to electrical panel boxes that use circuit breakers. They’re much more convenient because, when a circuit trips, you can simply reset the circuit breaker instead of having to replace it.
Two-Prong Outlets
One distinctive indicator that your electrical system needs an upgrade is that you have two-prong outlets. These were standard before grounding became an industry requirement. The problem with two-prong outlets is that there is no ground wire, so there’s nowhere for excess energy to escape. This situation can be dangerous, as it poses a big risk of electrical shocks and damage to anything that you have plugged into the outlet.
It’s important to note that many renovators will simply swap out two-prong outlets for three-prong outlets without adding a ground wire. One of our electricians will be able to test each outlet to ensure that it has an active ground and let you know if it doesn’t.
Missing GFCI Outlets
Homes built before the 1970s lack GFCI safety outlets. These outlets are fairly distinct because they have a square shape alongside test and reset buttons in their center. GFCI outlets are much safer than traditional outlets due to their fast response time to prevent electrocution. It’s mandatory to have GFCI outlets installed in all the wet rooms of your home because water can transfer electricity very quickly. GFCI outlets in your kitchen and bathroom help prevent that from happening.
Burning Outlets
One great benefit of getting an electrical inspection for your older home is that you can be alerted to any potential problems that your outlets may have. For example, your outlet may have discoloration or scorch marks because of faulty wiring. If one of the wires is exposed and comes in contact with another metal, it can create an arcing effect that causes sparks to go back and forth. This can be dangerous to your home and lead to a potential electrical fire. Our electrical services pros can let you know if you have this issue and work to repair it swiftly.
Identify Overloaded Outlets
Unfortunately, it’s become the norm for most homeowners to simply purchase power strips and extension cords whenever their existing outlets don’t have enough receptacles or don’t reach their appliances or electronic devices. The problem with using these on a permanent basis is that they can easily overload your electrical circuit. During an electrical inspection, our electricians will have a keen eye to point out these locations in your home and recommend installing more outlets to help reduce the demand on that individual circuit.
Peace of Mind
One of the lesser-known reasons to get an electrical inspection for your aging home is that it can help provide you with some peace of mind about the safety of your electrical system. If you know that your electrical system is old, you may worry about how safe it is for your family. By getting an inspection, you can identify problem areas and have them fixed.
Expert Electrical Inspection Service
Top Flight Electric offers expert electrical inspection services for the Winter Haven, FL community. We can also assist with all your electrical upgrades, installations, and repair needs. Simply call our friendly office staff today to book your next service consultation with one of our highly knowledgeable and licensed electricians.
